5/5 Stars

Still, the stars in the sky of the darkness,
Listening the National Anthem right before start line in the beautiful mountain of Big Bear was touched my heart.
It’s unforgettable.

No.

The mountain scenery is spectacular.

Redlands

4/5 Stars

We got to start at 6:25 too rushed. Beautiful snenic run. Loved the downhill especially second half.

No

Scenic loved downhill till the end.

Ran some hills on long runs.

Do some downhill running . Also hill

5/5 Stars

It was such a fun experience! I loved the course, the aid stations were incredible, and the community was amazing. Crossing that finish line was the best feeling.

Yes by 5 min!

Train for downhill! Prepare you knees and calves as much as possible. And definitely wear the gloves!

5/5 Stars

The course was beautiful!!! Seeing the clouds below while at the higher elevation was breathtaking and filled me with gratitude! Wonderful volunteers the whole way kept me going!!

Yes!!!! By 13 minutes and this was my first time qualifying for Boston!!!!

Gorgeous course!!! My favorite after15 marathons and 18 half marathons! The grade was great! I felt I could maintain the pace I wanted without exerting much energy. I did struggle with some cramping, but it didn't get too bad and I was able to maintain my pace.

I train about 35-40 miles per week. I did hill repeats, quarter mile sprint repeats, downhill running and long runs. I would definitely do longer downhill runs.

Revel does the best job at making the marathon experience special! I flew in to John Wayne airport. It's a great airport, not big and crazy! We got a car rental for $78 for 3 days. The Redlands/ San Bernardino area is nice with plenty of restaurants. The traffic was pretty difficult the whole time, but not a big deal

We went to San Diego to do a little sightseeing before the race. I traveled from Colorado. Thank you so much!! I think Revel does everything right and after 15 marathons, I finally qualified for Boston! Thank you for helping me make a 10 year goal come true!!!

5/5 Stars

At the starting area in the dark at the amphitheater I was able to lie on my back and see a sky full of stars, and an occasional shooting star. Nice way to get the day started. At about 5 miles on the course I went around a curve and the valley below opened up and it was filled with clouds. Beautiful! Greatly appreciated those clouds when we dropped through them and they gave us cover from the sun.

Didn't PR (too old to run that fast again), but I did BQ by 21 minutes.

Tough first 5 miles or so, then some nice cruising and beautiful views, especially looking down on the clouds below. Then the nice surprise and speed beginning at 13-or-so-miles with the long, straight, smooth downhill.

Typical marathon training, but pretty much on flat courses. The long runs are super important to build the stamina needed for a strong finish.

Train on downhill to get your quads prepared. Take warm clothing to the start area.

Drove over from Phoenix and stayed at a hotel within walking distance to the buses.

5/5 Stars

I was very well organized and better quality race. Yes, you guys did good job.

Yes, 3:05 sharp...and I liked it.

The course was easier in some ways but harder the other way. My first downhill course and the impact on the body was more than I expected.

I train 3 times a week, up to 10 miles each during the week and 1 long one, up to 20 miles.
I think training is the only way to cover full distance...

Training...interval...good food and rest...on your pace

I ran a booth at the expo in a rain...LOL

3/5 Stars

I have been participating about 50 full marathon since 2015.
Big bear marathon is my 1st marathon for descending course.
Race day, the whether was perfect to run and cloud spreaded in the mountain was put me in romantic mood so I can not help taking so many photo shot during the race that make me fail BQ by 15 seconds. Oh my god!!!
I had a BQ at Long Beach Marathon at 2008 by3;45:23. My target time now 4:00hrs.

Cource is good. but there are some hollowed road surface in center line which would hurt
ankle hurt to the runners.

Descending course is different with others. It is necessary to train at descending place.

First half should be slow run than your target pace and 2nd half shall be your target pace.

beer gaeden was good.

I have traveld with my team( LA Runners Club) runners and suppotors(15 participants and 18 supportors). We have enjoyed very much.

5/5 Stars

Haven’t run hat fast in 18 years!

4 min from my PR

Fast, beautiful and easy

Trained 20-25 miles a week. Cross train and intervals 2x a week

5/5 Stars

Excellent

Yes

Beautiful. Mostly for the first 18-20 miles then more urban than I care for in a race but the mountain parts were incredible.

I did not do a lot of downhill specific training which hurt me near the end.

Train downhill.

5/5 Stars

Overall, it was well organized and all the logistics worked out perfectly. Bus loading and unloading were fairly smooth without much waiting. The course is so beautiful and running down from above the clouds was simply amazing!

This was my second full marathon. Yes, I beat my first marathon by 28 minutes, and yes, I am Boston Qualified! My husband also ran the race and he PR'ed by 21 minutes, and is also Boston qualified!

The scenery for the first 20 miles is absolutely breathtaking! The first 9 miles have some uphill slopes, but not a big deal for me since I live in Southern California. The elevation is not an issue either since I often hike in the mountains above 6000 feet. I really enjoyed the downhill run and there is no issue at all on my knees. The weather was also perfect!

For the last 3 months, I ran 45-60 miles each week most of the time. I only did one long run of 20 miles three weeks before the race. I didn't train in particular for the downhill run since in Southern California, there is really no flat course, and you have to run up and down all the time. I summited the San Gogornio (over 13,000 feet) a week before the race, and I think it also helped me get prepared for the race.

Shoes! I already got my shoes half a size bigger, but my toes still hurt afterwards. Also, bring warm clothing to the start area since the temperatures might be in 30s. I brought an old blanket and just left it next to the start area right before the run started. Another thing I did was that I cut open a pair of crew socks and used them as arm warmers. I threw them away at mile 4.

We drove to the start line the day before and left for home right after the race.